Snow Zone

The numbers are now in for skier visits during the 2009-10 season. And with the exception of Vermont and other regions of the country, they’re  not pretty.

Overall, skier visits in the Northeast declined 2.7 percent from the previous year, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The most likely reason? Below average snowfall in northern New England. In fact, NSAA says average snowfall was down 21 percent in the Northeast.

Yet in Vermont, skier visits were actually up 1.4 percent from the previous year with 4.1 million visits.

In New Hampshire, skier visits were down 2.6 percent from the previous season with a total of 2.6 million visits. Yet Ski New Hampshire says it was the third best season ever. In fact, last season was 4 percent above the 10-year average for Granite State areas.

The Southeast (remember those D.C. snowstorms?) saw a 98 percent increase in snowfall. (What a waste; that was suppose to be OUR snow).

Recession a factor?

It doesn’t seem to be the case because in all other ski regions of the country, the numbers were up and just a little short of all-time records.

The stats from NSAA:

The U.S. ski industry recorded 59.7 million visits, the second best season ever, according to the preliminary 2009/10 Kottke National End of Season Survey.

That’s only 1.2 percent below the all time record of 60.5 million visits achieved in 2007/08.

The Pacific Southwest had a 15.0 percent increase in skier/snowboarder visits.

The Midwest and Southeast also experienced notable gains of 7.2 percent and 6.7 percent respectively.

The Rocky Mountain region continued its dominant overall position in terms of total visis, increasing by 3.4 percent over last year, and again exceeding the 20 millions visit threshold.

The Pacific Northwest also rose from 2008/09, growing by 3.2 percent.

Some positive Northeast Figures

Yet in an indication of widespread solid performance, the industry as a whole exceeded its 10-season average by 3.9 percent in the 2009/10 season, a pattern echoed by all regions, including the Northeast (up 1.1 percent from its 10-season average), Southeast (up 9.9 percent), Midwest (up 2.1 percent), Rocky Mountains (up 4.3 percent), Pacific Southwest (up 4.7 percent), and Pacific Northwest (up 5.7 percent). On an individual basis, 69 percent of responding areas reported increased annual visits.

Visitation gains occurred despite a 14 percent decrease in overall snowfall among ski areas nationwide. Regionally, snowfall totals were mixed, with substantially greater snowfall in the Southeast, up 98 percent; and to a lesser extent in the Pacific Southwest, up 8 percent. However, decreased snowfall was reported in all other regions, including the Northeast (-21 percent), Midwest (-32 percent), Rocky Mountains (-20 percent) and Pacific Northwest (-25 percent). A final Kottke National End of Season Survey will be issued in July. For more information visit nsaa.org.

Good news from Vermont

Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, said, “With below-average snowfall, below-average days of operation and an economy still struggling to pull out of a major recession, the season’s numbers are a true testament to the ski industry’s resiliency and its importance to Vermont’s economy.”
 
VSAA says the 2009-10 season was most notably marked by a late start and an early finish, with few major snowstorms in between. Still, Vermont ski areas saw strong weekend business and solid holiday bookings that brought skier visits ahead of last year, while other Northeastern states saw an overall 2.7 percent decline as reported by the National Ski Areas Association.

While many of the season’s snowstorms missed the Green Mountains and instead fell in down-state backyards, that proved to be a boon for Vermont as skiers and riders were continually reminded that winter was in full stride, Riehle said. With a core market of 45 million people within a few hours drive who are increasingly vacationing closer to home, Vermont ski areas met expectations with steady mountain snowfall and ideal weather conditions for snowmaking and grooming.  Skiers and riders responded with a rebound in spending at resorts which brought substantial increases to the state’s rooms & meals and sales tax collections over last year.

In New Hampshire,  businesses were also able to benefit from the successful winter. An economic impact study conducted during the record 2007/08 winter showed a total of $940 million dollars spent by guests visiting NH ski areas. Of that total, only 12 percent was spent directly at ski areas with the remaining 88% spent on ski visit-related expenses such as lodging, restaurants, gas, tolls, retail, and other. This year’s numbers are expected to be comparable to the 2007/08 study due to the minor decrease in business levels and slight price increases due to inflation.

“Once again it was a fun winter that we feel our guests enjoyed. We were able to experience several big snowstorms and fun holiday periods. Unfortunately it was a bit anti-climatic with the lack of fresh snowfall or many spring skiing days in March and April, which ended the season a bit earlier than usual,” noted Karl Stone, Ski NH’s marketing director.

“The ski industry is fortunate to have guests that are passionate about the special experience they enjoy with family and friends on New Hampshire’s alpine slopes and cross country trails. We hope our snowmaking, grooming, and guest service continue to provide good value for their time spent in our state,” summarized Alice Pearce, Ski NH’s president.